Hawaiʻi teams to compete for slots at VEX Worlds

By Hawaiian Electric

The Hawaiian Electric Companies Hawaiʻi State VEX Championships are scheduled Jan. 13-14, 2018 at Kamehameha Schools Kapālama Campus gymnasium with more than 140 elementary, middle and high school teams from around the state competing for 25 qualification slots at the VEX World Championships in St. Louis, Kentucky this April. The state VEX Championships are free to the public.

On Saturday, opening ceremonies for the VEX EDR (middle and high school teams) will begin at 8:45 a.m. with qualification matches starting at 9 a.m. through 12:45 p.m. Elimination matches will start at 1:45 p.m. followed by an awards ceremony at 4 p.m. Of the total 47 teams competing, only five will advance to the VEX Worlds.

Competing schools in the VEX EDR include Highlands Intermediate, Hilo High, Island Pacific Academy (Kapolei), Kaiser, Kalani, Kamehameha Schools, Kapolei Middle, Keaʻau High, Kealakehe High, King Kekaulike, Konawaena High, Kohala High, Lokelani Intermediate, Maryknoll High, Maui High, Mililani High, Mid-Pacific Institute, Moanalua High, Molokaʻi High, Pearl City High, Sacred Hearts Academy, Saint Joseph, Saint Louis, Stevenson Middle, Waiakea Intermediate, Waialua High & Intermediate and Waipahu High. Circuit Breakers, Island Robotics and 808 Robotics Homeschool also will compete.

On Sunday, opening ceremonies for the VEX IQ championships will begin at 8:30 a.m. with concurrent qualification matches starting at 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on separate fields for elementary and middle school teams. Afternoon matches begin at 1 p.m. followed by an awards ceremony at 3:45 p.m. The VEX IQ elementary championships will advance 11 of 46 teams to the VEX Worlds while the VEX IQ middle school championships will advance 9 of 45 teams.

Competing elementary schools are: Aliamanu, August Ahrens, Ewa Beach, Hawaii Technology Academy, Holualoa, Huaikalani School for Girls, Kaunakakai, Keaʻau, Konawaena, Kualapuʻu, Lihikai, Manana, Manoa, Maryknoll, Mililani, Moanalua, Nuʻuanu, Pearl City Highlands, Pōmaikaʻi, Princess Nāhiʻenaʻena, Pukalani, Sacred Hearts Academy, Saint Joseph and Waimalu. Mechaneers Robotics Club, BSA Aloha Council Troop 32, Manoa RoBlocks, Moanalua Pack 9 Cub Scout and Pack 33 Mānoa-Kapiʻolani District Aloha Council also are entered.

Competing middle schools are: Akaʻula, Hanalani Schools, Hawaii Technology Academy, Hilo Intermediate, Ilima Intermediate, Island Pacific Academy, Kamehameha, Kapolei, Keaʻau, Konawaena, Lokelani Intermediate, Maryknoll, Mid-Pacific Institute, Mililani, Molokaʻi, Sacred Hearts Academy, Saint Louis, St. John Vianney, Volcano School of Arts and Sciences, Waiakea Intermediate and Waialua. Cornerstone Engineering Robotics, Girl Scouts Troop 254, KalamaBotics (Makawao) and Phoenixbots (Mililani) also are registered.